I. June 5, 1995 – June 18, 1995

Hermione Granger paced distractedly around the Gryffindor common room. Her wavy brown hair bounced with every step she took. She looked impatiently at her watch and then at the desk where she had been sitting. Her Ancient Runes book lay open on a table where her two best friends, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had been sitting.

"Hermione," Ron said, irritably, "will you please stop pacing? Its making me dizzy."

"I'm sorry, Ron. It's just—" she began. "I'm so nervous."

"Harry and I are fine, aren't we?" Ron asked nudging his friend with his elbow. Harry had fallen asleep atop his potions book and was drooling on the cover. He hadn't even noticed Ron's poke. "Well, I'm all right," he said.

"Yes, Ron," she said, "That's the difference between you and I. I have expectations for myself."

"So do I," Ron cried defensively. Hermione rolled her eyes and returned to her spot at the table. "Maybe you just need some fresh air," Ron suggested. "Wanna go for a walk?"

"That sounds like a good idea, Ron. But I'd rather go alone, if you don't mind. You can keep Harry company," she said.

Ron looked a little hurt by her words, but nodded and Hermione exited the common room. She would be taking her Ancient Runes O.W.L. in about two hours and she felt nowhere near ready. The back of her mind told her otherwise, but Hermione had become accustomed to ignoring that part of her brain. It had always led her into troubled situations. She walked along the corridors and wandered around the castle aimlessly. The changing staircases eventually led her to the Owlrey, where she stopped for a few moments to watch the owls. There were hundreds of them and Hermione had always wondered how often they brought mail to and from the castle.

A large tawny owl caught her eye. It fluttered clumsily into the room flapping one wing furiously while the other stood still close to its body. It faltered and ended up falling the ground beside her. She rushed over to it to see if there was anything she could do. Its wing had been broken and dried blood was apparent at its beak. She muttered a simple spell to mend its wing. It nuzzled her affectionately as a method of repayment. She smiled and pat it on the head.

She noticed a small parcel attached to its leg. The owl brought its leg up to her, as if allowing her to remove the parcel from it. Hermione removed it and unrolled it. The envelope that held the letter was blank with no name and there was no seal on the back. Hermione opened it and pulled out the letter. It was folded into thirds. The writing on it was clear and neat. She saw in the corner it was dated May 23, 1975. Strange, she thought. Today was May 23, 1995. The letter read:

'I am in dire need of your help at the moment. You must respond to me immediately. -R'

Hermione blinked as if she were expecting the writing to change when she opened her eyes. She walked curiously to the table near her, which held parchment, ink and quills. On it she wrote:

'R- I am sorry I am not sure of your purpose. Firstly it is not 1975 it is 1995 and second I do not understand how I would be able to help you. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. –H'

She sealed it with the Hogwarts seal and attached it to the leg of the tawny owl she had just helped. She nipped playfully at her fingers. She walked it to the window and set it out to fly into the wind. It flapped away and Hermione watched it until it was a small speck. She heard the bell tower chime 2:30 and realized her O.W.L. would take place soon. She scurried out of the owlery forgetting the tawny owl and the message and made her way back to the Gryffindor common room before shooting off to the third floor corridor where she would be taking her exam.

It wasn't until the next day that she thought of the tawny owl when at breakfast she spotted it during the mail time. She watched it fly through the Great Hall and watched a small parcel float through the room and land on her plate of eggs. She looked around the table. Harry was engulfed with the Daily Prophet that had just arrived and Ron was engulfed with his bacon. She swallowed carefully and opened the envelope. She pulled out the envelope, which was folded the exact way it had been yesterday. She opened each panel with a shaky hand as she took in the familiar neat writing and the date of 1975.

'H- I'm sorry but I think you have been mistaken. I am quite sure that it is May 24, 1975 and anyway you were a bit late with your help as my O.W.L. for Ancient Runes was yesterday. I do not expect you to offer any help for my O.W.L. in Charms today as I can see you can hardly figure out what date it is. –R'

Hermione scoffed at the letter, feeling taken aback. "What is it, Hermione?" Ron asked with a mouthful of food.

Her eyes snapped to him who was looking curiously at her. "Oh, nothing," she said, shoving the piece of parchment into her book bag. "That was just a little reminder of the Specificus Charm because I always forget that one," she thought up quickly. Ron nodded and concentrated back on his food.

Hermione was still baffled by the letter after breakfast, where she quickly excused herself and scurried up to the Owlery. Not to her surprise the large tawny owl greeted her pleasantly when she walked in. She whipped out a fresh piece of parchment and began scribbling back to "R" about how she was always right.

'R- Please stop this childish trick. I have no time for these silly, little games as I have to prepare for a large number of O.W.L.s that are coming up. Please stop sending me letters and stop telling me you are from the past, which clearly you are not for it is 1995 and I am never mistaken. –H.'

Satisfied with her final product, Hermione sighed and shoved the paper into an envelope tying it to the owl's leg and rushing out to prepare for her Charms O.W.L. that was in a few hours.

She thought she had heard the last of the author a few days later when she still hadn't received a response. Thank goodness for that, because she had been extremely busy with her O.W.L.s. Yet she was mistaken, something that rarely occurs to her, for at breakfast, after her last O.W.L., the large tawny owl once again attracted her eye and dropped a familiar unaddressed envelope onto her plate. Harry and Ron, yet again did not notice. She pulled it to her lap and opened it quickly.

'H—Obviously you have not met me, for if you had, you would have known that I am never mistaken. It is 1975 and it has been all year. You need to be the one to stop denying it and stop playing these foolish games. I am not a child, for a matter of fact. I am a fifteen-year-old boy who attends Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by the name of Remus J. Lupin. Thank you, -Remus.'

Hermione sat dumbfounded with the letter in her lap. 1975? Lupin? This had to be another joke from Fred and George. It had to be. Hermione shoved the letter into her robe pocket. She would deal with it later. For now, she wanted to enjoy her accomplishment of finishing her studies for fifth year. She smiled back at her breakfast and put a spoonful of egg into her mouth.

A/N: This is slightly AU because it kind of alters the events in fifth year. Its just a little something I thought of while watching the Lake House. Please tell me if you think I should continue.